Evolution of Robotics: 50 Years of Innovation and AI Integration
Milton Guerry, president of SCHUNK USA and an A3 board member, discusses robotics’ evolution, AI, workforce education, and industry leadership with host Jay at A3.
In this talk
- 0:12
Robotics has grown more capable
Guerry says the automation community has kept its energy as it has grown over the past 50 years. He has seen robotics expand beyond high-volume production, while components such as grippers have gained more intelligence and capability.
- 2:06
AI can automate parts of programming
Guerry expects machine learning and generative AI to help create robot code and reduce some of the demanding work of programming. He says people will still need to reason through accuracy, repeatability, and changing material flows, because those challenges make robotic cells difficult to build.
- 4:48
Automation still has room to expand
Guerry describes robotics as an early-stage field with significant opportunity in industries that have not adopted much automation. He points to areas such as poultry processing and healthcare, and says AI can help people develop more capable systems.
- 8:09
Workforce development takes long-term investment
Guerry says A3 is connecting education with industry needs to prepare workers for manufacturing. SCHUNK partners with nearby universities and runs a four-year youth apprenticeship that begins after high school; participants earn a two-year engineering degree and a technology journeyman certificate, with a job guaranteed. The program has about 16 participants after eight years.
- 13:29
Software and data can speed deployment
Guerry says mechanical systems remain essential, while software and data will help companies implement automation more quickly. He also argues that robot programming is high-tech work, and that students should be shown the critical thinking involved.
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